Stone fruit and berries.

They’re quintessential summer treasures.  Just look at them — soft, sparking and vibrant.

This is a lovely summer fruit dessert for a warm evening on the deck with friends.  Or for a Sunday brunch with family.  What I’m saying is, it’s lovely any time, any day, with anyone!  Anyone you like spending time with, anyway.

It’s bright, refreshing and rich all at once.  Oh, and it’s packed with flavor and is delicious, of course!

My dad with me exactly 11 years ago, on my wedding day . . . .

and a couple of weeks ago with his two favorite dogs, me and my boys.

My husband, the other best dad in the world.
~    ~     ~
Wishing you all a very happy, warm, and love-filled Father’s Day!
I hope you and your families are all sharing a wonderful
day and delicious meal together!
xo
Valentina

And what’s for dinner for these two special dads?  So happy you asked . . .

(Click on the titles below the images to get the recipes.)

Top left: Roasted Poblano Guacamole
Top right: Mexican Chopped Salad with Spiced Pepitas and Honey -Chipotle Dressing
Bottom left: Halibut Ceviche Tacos
Bottom right: Kahlùa Espresso Gelato

I was introduced to the flavor of coffee at a very early age, probably under ten-years-old.

No, not in a mug with half and half!  Rather, in pint-sized container of Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream.  You see, it was, and still is my dad’s favorite flavor.  It didn’t have to be Häagen-Dazs, but I think more often than not, it was.

So naturally, I’m making my dad this insanely delicious Kahlùa Espresso Gelato for Father’s Day tomorrow.  You know I don’t brag all the time, but today I can’t help but tell you this is the most delectable, flavorful, creamy gelato I’ve ever made.  (I want to say, “or that I’ve ever tasted,” but I don’t want to brag too much.  Oops, just did.)

And as always, my favorite part of the process of making gelato or ice cream, is when I remove the lid to the machine to reveal the beauty of the creamy blend of ingredients and flavors.

I highly recommend trying this recipe and inviting a few friends or family over this weekend to partake in its deliciousness.

Enjoy!

P.S. It’s only fitting I would break out my ice cream maker today.  Here’s why.

I love corn.

And it’s no wonder because it’s so very sweet.

As you probably know by now, I have a serious sweet tooth.  As far as I’m concerned if you love cookies, semisweet chocolate, and strawberries at the peak of their season, it only makes sense that you’d love corn.  And you know what makes something sweet even a little “sweeter?”  Yup, you got it — spice!  Every bite of sweet and spicy is an explosion of deliciousness.

This quick and easy, delectable roasted corn is the perfect accompaniment to anything you’ve got goin’ on the grill.  Add an incredibly refreshing salad and you’re all set for a party.  Invite some friends.  And family.  Now. 

Recently on my Cooking On The Weekends Facebook Page, I asked the question, “If you had to name one food that most quickly brings your mind to summer, what would it be?”  Amidst all of the peaches and strawberries, basil was a recurring answer.

So while I plan to bring you many peach and strawberry recipes throughout the summer — today, join me in exploring a collection of my best basil recipes.

Click on the titles to get the delicious recipes.

Top left:  Lemon Basil Salad Dressing
Top right:  Wildted Chard and Basil-Grapefruit Sesame Salad
Bottom left: Peach Caprese with Balsamic Glaze
Bottom right:  Apricot-Basil Preserves

Top left:  Strawberry Basil Kebabs
Top right:  Bacon, Basil and Balsamic Potatoes
Bottom left:  Lemon Basil Pizza
Bottom right:  Tomato, Red Onion, and Pesto Open-Faced Sandwich

The BBLT!  Basil, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Click on the titles to get the delicious recipes.

Top left:  Mango Manchego Basil Salad
Top right: Lemon-Basil Strawberry Caprese
Bottom left: Chilled Cucumber Basil Soup
Bottom right: Spicy Sriracha Salmon Basil Burgers

Oh, and before I go, I’d like to introduce you to Petra of Zoom Yummy.  She wrote a lovely post, Basil – Interesting Facts, and I encourage you to check it out.  I think you’ll enjoy it.

So tell me, what food brings your mind to summer?

You have my dad to thank for all of the gorgeous basil we’ve been cooking with all week.

You see there’s a lot going on in his garden right now.  The tomatoes vines are thriving with new growth, the plum tree is full with ripe, succulent fruit, the peaches will be the perfect color and ready to pick in a few weeks, and the basil pots are overflowing with vibrant, soft, green leaves.

So when my dad brought me a huge bag of freshly picked basil a few days ago, I couldn’t let too much time pass before I cooked up a storm with it.  I didn’t want even one leaf to turn brown before all of it was eaten in a salad, used in strawberry caprese, puréed with cucumber in a lovely chilled soup, and blended with salmon for these delicious burgers.

Packed with spice and fresh flavors, this recipe is perfect to share with friends at your casual summer gatherings.

Enjoy!

My husband goes through culinary phases.

There was the juicing phase, then the bloody mary phase, followed by the kale phase, the hard boiled egg phase, margarita phase, salad phase, and now, making a strong comeback . . . . the juicing phase has returned.

The first juicing phase involved a juicer with approximately fifty-seven parts, all of which needed to be washed separately.  When the phase petered out, the juicer went away.  Secretly (well, sort of secretly), I was happy. (Fifty-seven parts is a lot!)

So recently when my husband told me he’d ordered a really cool, new blender that doubles as a juicer, I was secretly (well, sort of secretly) concerned.  Good news though, it only has three parts!  Yesterday I blended this beautiful, light and delicious soup in the new machine, and I must admit, it was amazing how quickly it turned all of the ingredients into a silky smooth blend of flavors. I loved it!

P.S. If you’re wondering, and I’m guessing you are, it’s a Blendtec.  (And while I wish I was, I’m not being compensated to tell you how cool it is.)

P.P.S. I think I like this juicing phase of his.

I’ve been tasting strawberries for the past few weeks at my local Farmer’s Market, and they’re getting sweeter and sweeter, and this past Sunday they were so amazing that I bought two, three packs at once.  To be clear, that’s six baskets!

Today I have five single strawberries left.

Sure I there’s my husband and two boys, but my husband isn’t into strawberries (imagine that!?) — and my boys, well, they each got a few in their lunch yesterday. Then of course, a dozen were used in this recipe.

I single-handedly ate the rest.  You do the math. Isn’t this a gorgeous summer hors d’oeuvre?  I’m in love with it.

And even though I’m going on and on about strawberries, I’m going to be featuring basil in my next few recipes.  Next up: Chilled Cucumber Basil Soup.  And then Spicy Basil Salmon Burgers.  It’s going to be a delicious week.

My husband is the best!

He runs out to get me frozen yogurt if I’m suddenly craving it at 9 or 10 PM while we’re relaxing on the couch.  He always has my back.  He’s the best, most fun, dad in the world.  He allows our dog to be both on the couch and the bed (he caved after a few months of saying no.)  He’s smart and has a hilarious sense of humor, which constantly makes me laugh.  He’s “Tech Services” in our house — any problem with my computer or blog, and he can fix it.  And there’s a whole lot more, but let’s get on with it.

There is one thing my husband’s not so into about me. I tend to go on and on about the details of my recipes — how I thought of them, why I used certain ingredients, how long they were stirred, etc.  He’s bored by this, and I totally get it, it’s not his thing — he just wants to eat it when it’s done.  Oh, and he’s even more bored when I talk about cute pillows I’ve seen at Anthropologie that I want for our house.  When I do go on and on about these things, he usually, (very sweetly, of course), suggests I call a foodie friend — or if it’s about the pillows, my cousin, Beth.

So I was about to tell him how I came up with this Chocolate Almond Nougat recipe, and then I realized that if I told him that it all began when I realized I was out of parchment paper, he would wonder what parchment is, and then tune out the rest.

I’ll spare you, too — even though some of you are my foodie friends.   Let’s just say it was a few different recipes and a couple of hours until I finally went out for parchment paper, and it turned into this one, which I absolutely love.

Oh, and I chose these sweet Campanula flowers for Friday Flowers because I’ve always wanted to pair them with sliced almonds. They sort of have a similar vibe to me.  I know, weird!

Curious about what Friday Flowers is all about?  Then click here.

So you know how I love one-pot meals?  Well I’m learning that I also love one-fruit meals.  (I totally made that term up — if you think of a better way to put it, please let me know.)

You see, if a fruit has a pit, you can remove it and fill it with layers upon layers of ingredients, creating something beautiful and delicious — all in one.

The delectable Irish farmhouse Kerrygold Cashel Blue, lends itself to such meals.  It’s creamy texture and tangy flavor create a perfect base where a fruit pit once was, to hold layers of food and drizzles of sauce.

You will wow your guests with this special dessert.  And for a savory one-fruit meal, you might love a Poached Egg Grilled Avocado with Bacon-Onion Compote — also starring Cashel Blue.

This is not a sponsored post — Kerrygold sent me Cashel Blue for recipe testing.  All opinions are my own.